20.8 Psych: Frontal lobe and executive function

Question 1

What are the areas of the frontal lobe?

Answer 1

Prefrontal area (Broca’s)
(frontal eye fields)
Premotor area
Motor area

Question 2

Where did Phineas Gage have a head injury?

What about him changed?

Answer 2

At least least left frontal lobe

Personality (relatively intellectually intact)

Question 3

In Luria’s functional systems, what is the anterior unit for?

Answer 3

Planning, executing and verifying behaviour

Question 4

What is the dorsolateral pre-frontal cortex for?

What is it mostly supplied by?

Answer 4

Traditional executive funcitons (cognitive thinking skills)

Middle cerebral artery

Question 5

What is the medial prefrontal cortex for?

What is it supplied by?

Answer 5

For emotional-motivational interface

Supplied by anterior cerebral artery

Question 6

What is the orbitoprefrontal cortex for?

What is it supplied by?

Answer 6

Highly connected to the limbic areas

Inhibition/impulsivity

Supplied by anterior cerebral artery and middle cerebral artery

Question 7

What are the positive and negative processes that alter frontal lobe maturation?

Answer 7

Positive: neuronal proliferation

Negative: pruning

Question 8

Is executive dysfunction the same as frontal lobe dysfunction?

Answer 8

Nope, not interchangable

Question 9

What does the prefrontal cortex do?

Answer 9

Co-ordinates executive functioning

Question 10

What are some positive and negative symptoms of executive dysfunction?

Answer 10

Positive:
Distractibility, disinhibition, hypergraphia, impulsivity

Negative:
Lack of initiation, lack of concern, no empathy, failure to complete tasks